Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) strongly condemns the attack on N1 television journalist Mladen Savatovic that happened last night during live coverage. Also, we are concerned because the police did not react even though they were near the event.

The journalist of the N1 television, Mladen Savatovic, was attacked last night during his live program. As he says, an unknown man interrupted him and threw things at him, and then physically attacked him.

“That was in the middle of a live program.” He came and stopped there. He shouted something like ‘fox, fox’ and then slowly approached. When I realized that he was going to try to jump in front of the camera or attack me in the middle of the live, I asked him ‘what exactly are you waiting for’, after which he was rude and was getting into my face. I then reacted in affect and told him that the police would find him, thinking that he would run away. However, he became even more aggressive and that’s when the citizens who were there ran to help,” Savatovic described the event from last night.

He says that there were several plainclothes police officers at the scene, but that they did not react and take actions to secure the place and investigate the case. According to Savatovic, he called the police, who showed up ten minutes after the incident, but the attacker had escaped in the meantime. The police made a note and instructed the journalist to go to the police station the next day to report the attack.

IJAS condemns this attack as well as the inaction of the police. The police officers who were on the scene had to protect the journalist and detain the attacker until the arrival of the patrol, which would further act on the report.

The previous day at the opposition protest the person who attacked Mladen Savatovic was filmed destroying a car, and the question is how he has not already been identified and further actions taken against him due to suspicions of committing criminal acts?

We call on the competent authorities to fulfill the duties they have accepted and to react as quickly as possible in cases of attacks on journalists. We demand that the attacker of Mladen Savatovic be identified as soon as possible and we call on the prosecution to prosecute this case, for which there is a video.

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia 

December 26, 2023

Flyers with the message “Revolution never again” were tossed on Monday into N1’s yard.

The flyers show pictures of opposition Party of Freedom and Justice leaders Marinika Tepic and Dragan Djilas, with a message that “they want a new October 5.”

This is not the first time that flyers are tossed into the N1 yard, only this time they were signed by the author – the movement Ours.

Some of the flyers also have the message: “Counter-revolution. Let us protect the state. October 5 – never again,” and photos of the movement leader, Ivan Ivanovic.

Source: N1

The Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) is advocating for the introduction of contracts for monitoring the flows and transfers of money to the media, using funding models for local media proposed by CJA to some Croatian cities. They are also calling for the establishment of a national journalism fund to transparently finance media according to professional standards, said CJA Vice President Chiara Bilić at the parliamentary Committee on Media during a thematic session on state advertising in the media.

The session, initiated by the opposition due to the “Mreža” (Network) affair, concluded without a resolution because neither the opposition’s proposed resolution with amendments nor the government’s proposal received the necessary number of votes.

Maja Sever, President of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists’ (TUCJ), emphasized that the issue of financing media with state and public funds is a crucial question for the survival of journalism and the idea of a democratic society.

Sever stated, “Yes, exactly, that dramatically, and the survival of the media should not depend on the change of ministers or governments. Because it’s not a matter of some advisor who allegedly has no connection to the HDZ [Croatian Democratic Union], nor a minister who is already former because the Mreža affair has just come to light and has shown what we have been warning about for years – the capture of the media with state funds at all levels, just as we read in Nacional, read in previous years, and will probably read today in the media that are not completely captured. Because the Mreža affair is not an isolated case, and that is precisely why it is necessary and important to discuss this topic in the Parliament, at your Committee.”

During the session, the opposition proposed that all state and public bodies and companies be instructed to submit a report on advertising in the media space, funds paid to PR agencies, and concluded contracts within 15 days. The report should cover the years 2022 and 2023 and include financial sponsorships for public events organized by media companies and PR agencies.

Additionally, the opposition proposed that the government present criteria for transparent allocation of funds for advertising in state and public bodies and public companies in all types of media within 30 days.

The ruling coalition proposed instructing the Council for Electronic Media (VEM) and the Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) to order all state and public bodies and public companies to submit a report on advertising in the media space, funds paid to PR agencies, and sponsorships of all events organized by PR agencies and media companies within 30 days for the years 2022 and 2023.

In the end, none of the proposals received the required six votes. The opposition proposal received four votes, with five against, while the government’s proposal received five votes, with none in favor or against.

Source: Hina and CJA

Translated by CJA

PODGORICA, 14.12.2023. – The Trade Union of Media of Montenegro strongly condemns threats of rape sent to female colleagues from several media outlets, and at the same time, we appeal to the police and the prosecutor’s office to take this case as seriously as possible and shed light on it as soon as possible.

The threats received by journalists Danica Nikolić, Tamara Nikčević, Bojana Dabović, Mirka Dević and Slavica Kruščić Vasović are serious and problematic on several levels. First of all, it is the first time that such a massive threat has been sent to all female journalists. Competent authorities must react urgently to put an end to this phenomenon and to adequately punish the perpetrator.

Also, all other cases, and there were more of them almost two years ago, concerning the threats received by Danica Nikolić, the editor of the M portal, and which were never brought to light, must finally receive a prosecutor’s and court’s epilogue. In recent years, SMCG has often highlighted the promptness of the police, prosecutor’s offices and courts when it comes to new cases of attacks on journalists, but the example of Danica Nikolić is among the few in which, in the eye of the public, nothing was done, and we are appealing for that to change.

This will be the 16th case that happened this year in the database of cases of attacks on journalists and media employees that SMCG maintains on the website www.safejournalists.net.

Today, journalist Rinë Haziri from Lajmi.net was obstructed and attacked by a citizen while reporting from Brezovica.

In the video published by the media, an individual can be heard telling journalist Haziri to stop recording.

Furthermore, it is known that the same person got out of the car and forcefully took the phone from the journalist’s hand while using threatening language towards her.

The editors of Lajmi.net have informed AJK that the case has also been reported to the Kosovo Police.

The Association of Kosovo Journalists expresses its concern regarding the obstruction and attack on journalist Rinë Haziri. We call upon the Kosovo Police to prioritize this case and hold the responsible individual accountable for their actions.

Journalist Fatlum Berisha has reported receiving death threats on TikTok

According to the statement delivered to the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, an account left comments on the journalist’s videos, including comments such as “I should have given you 31 bullets.” Journalist Berisha also reported the case to the Kosovo Police.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo expresses its concern regarding the threats against journalist Berisha. We call upon the Kosovo Police to take appropriate action to identify the individual(s) responsible for these actions.

For AJK, these kinds of threats are completely inappropriate and unacceptable. We encourage all colleagues to report any instances of online threats so that they can be properly addressed by the relevant authorities.